Schedule
10:00-11:00am
Registration in front of Caplin Pavilion
11:15-12:30pm
Advocacy for Transgender Rights
Co-sponsored by the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), Child Advocacy Research and Education (CARE), and LAMBDA
The transgender rights movement seeks to eliminate discrimination and violence against transgender people. This panel will explore how transgender individuals and those working with the transgender community have used the law and other advocacy tools to advance transgender rights and their goals for the future.
Panelists:
The Intersections of Immigrant Rights and Environmental Justice
Co-sponsored by the Virginia Environmental Law Program (VELF) and the Immigration Law Program (ILP)
Longstanding immigrant communities rooted in the USA, as well as people on the move seeking asylum in this country, have often borne the brunt of environmental injustices and exploitation. However, it is not typical to see these two subjects discussed together in an academic legal setting. This panel aims to build a dialogue on how environmental injustices impact immigrant communities in particular ways, as well as how anti-immigrant policies have negative effects on efforts like environmental protection and conservation. It will also spotlight instances where these issues have intersected in ongoing legal work, from border policy to immigrant worker rights advocacy. Our panelists’ experiences and insights can light a way forward for new innovations in legal advocacy and activism in these fields.
Panelists:
12:30-2:00pm
Shaping Justice Awards Ceremony and Lunch
2:15-3:30pm
Technology and the Criminalization of Sex Work
Co-sponsored by the National Lawyers Guild at UVA Law, the Virginia Journal of Law and Technology (VJOLT), and Feminist Legal Forum (FLF)
In 2016, Amnesty International called on all countries to decriminalize consensual sex work. In the United States, however, it remains illegal in all states except Nevada (where it is only legalized in limited circumstances, not decriminalized). Since the passage into federal law of FOSTA-SESTA in 2018, sex workers have faced increased censorship online, including the disappearance of online spaces for organizing, communication, and advertising services. This crackdown has had negative impacts on worker safety, autonomy, and privacy, as well as broader implications for internet freedom and the surveillance of marginalized communities. Sex workers raised the alarm about these consequences even before the FOSTA-SESTA bill was passed, only to be ignored by Congress. The past year has seen a renewed wave of activism to decriminalize sex work in multiple US cities. Our panelists will discuss these developments in the law, the organizing efforts to combat FOSTA-SESTA, and ongoing advocacy for the human rights of sex workers.
Panelists:
Disability Rights Thirty Years After the Passage of the ADA
Co-sponsored by LAMBDA and the Health Law Association
2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a historic piece of legislation that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. This panel will explore how the ADA has helped protect the rights of people with disabilities, particularly with regards to HIV, transportation, and housing. In addition, the panel will discuss how to better empower people with disabilities to lead public lives and the roles of lawyers and activists in this mission.
Panelists:
3:45-5:00pm
Fighting for Reproductive Justice in a Time of Crisis
Co-sponsored by If/when/how: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice at UVA Law and the American Constitution Society (ACS) at UVA Law
According to the Guttmacher Institute, 17 states passed abortion restrictions in 2019. Some policies were outright abortion bans; others, for example, required providers to give patients false information about "abortion reversal," a scientifically impossible procedure. This wave is part of a coordinated effort to overturn Roe v. Wade, and the effects of laws limiting reproductive rights are most painfully felt in marginalized communities. Despite this grim political landscape, activists, legal advocates, and legislators around the country are mobilizing to protect and advance reproductive justice. This includes not only enshrining abortion protections but also focusing on wide-ranging policies such as addressing maternal mortality, improving sex education, and expanding health insurance coverage for reproductive care. Our panelists, who approach these issues from both the legal and medical fields, will discuss the current legal landscape, on-the-ground realities for those seeking reproductive care, and current advocacy efforts to advance reproductive justice.
Panelists:
Dismantling Mass Incarceration through Restorative Justice
Co-sponsored by the Virginia Law in Prison Project (VLPP) and the American Constitution Society (ACS) at UVA Law
There is bipartisan support for reforming the criminal justice system and ending mass incarceration. However, many reforms have focused exclusively on drug offenses and other non-violent crimes and have failed to adequately address violent crime - the primary driver of incarceration in the United States. Some reformers advocate for restorative justice as a new paradigm for responding to violent crime, arguing that such an approach can help end mass incarceration and address racial disparities in the justice system while prioritizing the needs and humanity of victims and increasing public safety. This panel will explore how restorative justice can address mass incarceration and respond effectively to violent crime, the role of lawyers in a restorative justice system, and roadblocks to the implementation of such a system.
Panelists:
5:15-6:00pm
Keynote Address by Reginald Dwayne Betts
6:00-7:30pm
Networking Reception and Booking Signing with Reginald Dwayne Betts (book signing until 6:30pm)
10:00-11:00am
Registration in front of Caplin Pavilion
11:15-12:30pm
Advocacy for Transgender Rights
Co-sponsored by the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), Child Advocacy Research and Education (CARE), and LAMBDA
The transgender rights movement seeks to eliminate discrimination and violence against transgender people. This panel will explore how transgender individuals and those working with the transgender community have used the law and other advocacy tools to advance transgender rights and their goals for the future.
Panelists:
- Mia Yamamoto, Criminal Defense Attorney and Civil Rights Activist
- Bary Hausrath, Founder, BaryLaw
- Ali Moros Taylor, Youth Leadership Council Member, Side by Side
- Joaquin Carcaño, Plaintiff in Carcaño, et al. v. Cooper, et al. (HB 2 “bathroom bill” litigation)
The Intersections of Immigrant Rights and Environmental Justice
Co-sponsored by the Virginia Environmental Law Program (VELF) and the Immigration Law Program (ILP)
Longstanding immigrant communities rooted in the USA, as well as people on the move seeking asylum in this country, have often borne the brunt of environmental injustices and exploitation. However, it is not typical to see these two subjects discussed together in an academic legal setting. This panel aims to build a dialogue on how environmental injustices impact immigrant communities in particular ways, as well as how anti-immigrant policies have negative effects on efforts like environmental protection and conservation. It will also spotlight instances where these issues have intersected in ongoing legal work, from border policy to immigrant worker rights advocacy. Our panelists’ experiences and insights can light a way forward for new innovations in legal advocacy and activism in these fields.
Panelists:
- Chris Espinosa, Director of Public Outreach, House Committee on Natural Resources
- Professor Miranda Cady Hallet, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Human Rights Center Research Fellow, University of Dayton
- Gustavo Angeles, Environmental Justice Program Coordinator, Sierra Club, Virginia Chapter
12:30-2:00pm
Shaping Justice Awards Ceremony and Lunch
2:15-3:30pm
Technology and the Criminalization of Sex Work
Co-sponsored by the National Lawyers Guild at UVA Law, the Virginia Journal of Law and Technology (VJOLT), and Feminist Legal Forum (FLF)
In 2016, Amnesty International called on all countries to decriminalize consensual sex work. In the United States, however, it remains illegal in all states except Nevada (where it is only legalized in limited circumstances, not decriminalized). Since the passage into federal law of FOSTA-SESTA in 2018, sex workers have faced increased censorship online, including the disappearance of online spaces for organizing, communication, and advertising services. This crackdown has had negative impacts on worker safety, autonomy, and privacy, as well as broader implications for internet freedom and the surveillance of marginalized communities. Sex workers raised the alarm about these consequences even before the FOSTA-SESTA bill was passed, only to be ignored by Congress. The past year has seen a renewed wave of activism to decriminalize sex work in multiple US cities. Our panelists will discuss these developments in the law, the organizing efforts to combat FOSTA-SESTA, and ongoing advocacy for the human rights of sex workers.
Panelists:
- David Grosso, At-Large DC Councilmember
- Mia Little, Sex Worker, Educator, Organizer, and Therapist-in-training
- Kendra Albert, Clinical Instructor at the Cyberlaw Clinic, Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University
- Lorelei Lee, Sex Worker, Community Organizer, Writer
Disability Rights Thirty Years After the Passage of the ADA
Co-sponsored by LAMBDA and the Health Law Association
2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a historic piece of legislation that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. This panel will explore how the ADA has helped protect the rights of people with disabilities, particularly with regards to HIV, transportation, and housing. In addition, the panel will discuss how to better empower people with disabilities to lead public lives and the roles of lawyers and activists in this mission.
Panelists:
- Sasha Buchert, Senior Attorney, Lambda Legal
- Michael Allen, Partner, Relman, Dane & Colfax
- Steven Traubert, Director of Litigation, disAbility Law Center of Virginia
- Chelsea Crawford, Associate, Brown, Goldstein & Levy
- Anne Langford, Trial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section
3:45-5:00pm
Fighting for Reproductive Justice in a Time of Crisis
Co-sponsored by If/when/how: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice at UVA Law and the American Constitution Society (ACS) at UVA Law
According to the Guttmacher Institute, 17 states passed abortion restrictions in 2019. Some policies were outright abortion bans; others, for example, required providers to give patients false information about "abortion reversal," a scientifically impossible procedure. This wave is part of a coordinated effort to overturn Roe v. Wade, and the effects of laws limiting reproductive rights are most painfully felt in marginalized communities. Despite this grim political landscape, activists, legal advocates, and legislators around the country are mobilizing to protect and advance reproductive justice. This includes not only enshrining abortion protections but also focusing on wide-ranging policies such as addressing maternal mortality, improving sex education, and expanding health insurance coverage for reproductive care. Our panelists, who approach these issues from both the legal and medical fields, will discuss the current legal landscape, on-the-ground realities for those seeking reproductive care, and current advocacy efforts to advance reproductive justice.
Panelists:
- Dr. Emily Young, University of Virginia Medical Center
- Professor Melissa Murray, Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law, New York University School of Law
- Kelsey Ryland, Director of Federal Strategies, All* Above All
- Nicole Tortoriello, Secular Society Women’s Rights Advocacy Counsel, ACLU of Virginia
- Monica Edwards, Federal Policy Manager, URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity
Dismantling Mass Incarceration through Restorative Justice
Co-sponsored by the Virginia Law in Prison Project (VLPP) and the American Constitution Society (ACS) at UVA Law
There is bipartisan support for reforming the criminal justice system and ending mass incarceration. However, many reforms have focused exclusively on drug offenses and other non-violent crimes and have failed to adequately address violent crime - the primary driver of incarceration in the United States. Some reformers advocate for restorative justice as a new paradigm for responding to violent crime, arguing that such an approach can help end mass incarceration and address racial disparities in the justice system while prioritizing the needs and humanity of victims and increasing public safety. This panel will explore how restorative justice can address mass incarceration and respond effectively to violent crime, the role of lawyers in a restorative justice system, and roadblocks to the implementation of such a system.
Panelists:
- Dr. Shannon Sliva, Assistant Professor, University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work
- Liz Porter-Merrill, Restorative Justice Director, Office of the Colorado State Public Defender
- Mikayla Waters-Crittenton, Program Associate, Restorative Justice Project, Impact Justice
- JJ Dahmer, Circle Keeper, North Denver Community-Building Circle, Restorative Justice Advocate
5:15-6:00pm
Keynote Address by Reginald Dwayne Betts
6:00-7:30pm
Networking Reception and Booking Signing with Reginald Dwayne Betts (book signing until 6:30pm)
